1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to post support devices and methods for wooden support posts that are typically connected to concrete piers or other surfaces such as wood porches, balconies or surfaces where water or moisture pervades the environment, and more particularly to post support devices and methods to minimize or repair rotting at the base in such wooden support posts because of prolonged exposure to the elements.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of construction there is a common problem of wood support posts rotting at the base because of prolonged exposure to the elements. These posts may be connected to concrete piers or other surfaces such as wood porches, balconies or any surface where water or moisture pervades the environment.
End grain of dimensional lumber has a natural capillary structure that aids the tree when it is living but which can be detrimental to wooden structural members if kept constantly wet. Water is sucked up by the end grain thus creating an optimal environment for rot and mould to establish itself and eventually destroy the integrity of the support post.
In other environments, pests such as termites are the threat. Open access to wood fiber at ground or surface level allows termites to gain access to a food source and begin their destructive work.
Support posts that are structurally compromised at the base can be a very expensive problem to fix. Support posts are often in such sizes as 6×6 (inches) dimensions or greater and are usually well connected into a supported framed structure above the remote end of the post making their removal laborious and costly.
These support posts rest upon concrete piers below porches, or decks or other similar structures, or they can be resting on the top decking surface of a porch and may be turned on a lathe, shaped and painted for decorative or cosmetic effect, in addition to supporting a roof structure above.
Rot and termite damage tends to progress up the inside core of a post much like a cone. This means that while a small area of rot may be visible from the exterior, the rot may extend much higher within the post.
There are a number of examples in the prior art of elevated post support devices designed to be used during new construction where easy installation is possible because the support post has not yet been installed into the structure. One can easily gain open access to the bottom of the post or the device is already secured to a concrete footing and the post can be dropped into position over the device.
However, if a rotted post is to be repaired, the prior art envisions that the rotting post be completely removed from the structure first and that a new post be installed in the same fashion and procedure as if it were new construction. The prior art envisions that the method of installation or repair accommodate to the height restrictions of the device rather than the device being capable of adapting within a typical and modest height range of rot within a post.
This means that the repair solution required when using the prior art devices necessitates complete removal of the post, which entails new material cost and labor. The prior art devices and methods do not lend themselves easily to situations where one desires to remove only the rotted portion of the post so that the rest of the post can be saved, thereby reducing replacement cost and labor. And yet this is a desirable choice given the high cost of replacing large structural posts that are typically securely connected to the remaining framing structure above while only five or six inches of rot exists at the bottom.
The prior art devices are only designed to provide a support post sufficient building code mandated clearance of at least one inch for all non-preservative treated ends of posts. But once rot sets in it almost always extends further than one inch from the surface of the grade. In fact the extent of rot may vary significantly depending of many factors such as snow and ice accumulations, direct or indirect exposure to rain or moisture.
While the prior art devices could be modified to accommodate whatever height one might anticipate rot could extend to, doing so would require numerous different height sizes to be made in anticipation of varying extents of rot. Or a single design which might be tall enough to function in a less common situation where the rot extends far above average heights might also be contemplated to cover as many instances as possible.
But such a device would be more than is required in many other instances, thus would be more expensive to manufacture. That is perhaps one of the reasons why the prior art has focused on devices which only meet the minimum building code elevation of one inch above a surface.
Another problem with the prior art devices is that they do not allow for variability during the installation, even within a reasonable range, so that the height at which a rotted post is cut is close to where healthy wood begins to predominate. The prior art devices offer no range of elevation in which to work beyond their discrete height.
The prior art devices are designed so that they connect to the post by way of external vertical planer surfaces that run up along the wall of the post and are secured to the post with fasteners. As a result, there is no seal to prevent water from seeping in between the post and the vertical planar surface. They are simply compressed against the post and screwed in place. As a result moisture is retained longer between post and planar surface and can gain access to the core of the post through the entry point of the fastener. These weaknesses leave the new post no better protected from moisture damage and eventual structural decay than the previous post with the same supporting device.
Some prior art (Scholl) devices are designed to protect a pier and a post combination by using compressive means around a post to create a seal in combination with a large cavity that encircles post and pier. It does not envision a mechanical seal which cuts into and penetrates beyond the plane of the post wall. This is clearly advantageous given its permanency and long term reliability when compared to applying caulking around the perimeter of the post where the support device planar surfaces terminate.
And yet one more factor is ignored by the prior art which renders their use ineffective or impractical in repair or renovation situations long after original construction. These are instances where a post to be repaired has been connected to a concrete surface by way of a device which has some kind of appendage or leg embedded into the concrete. This occurs at the time of construction whereby an anchoring appendage is submerged into wet cement and left to cure.
If one of the prior art devices were desired to be used in such a repair situation, it would entail cutting off the embedded appendage and removing a portion of concrete sufficient for another like device to be embedded within new cement poured into this cavity within the pier. This would be laborious, costly and time consuming. A device that is surface mounted to cured concrete would be the only reasonable solution even though the old embedded anchoring appendage would still have to be cut off.
To further demonstrate the utility and benefit of having a device with both variability in height range and a means of sealing and protecting the connection between post and device, consider one element of a repair technique that would be part of the method used when employing such an ideal device.
A simple method of fixing a rotted post that sits directly on a surface, without any kind of post support anchor, is to cut the post above the rotted portion and remove it. A new replacement filler block could be cut from identically dimensioned lumber so that it would fit snuggly within the void. Construction adhesives may be applied to the contact surfaces of the end of the old post and replacement filler block. However, this would likely doom the filler block to the same fate as its predecessor given that exposure to the elements would continue at the post to base surface interface and also at the joint between the filler block and post.
Alternatively, a traditional metal post support device could be used to secure the replacement filler block whereby screws pass through it into the filler piece connecting the two. The support device with the attached filler block can now be fitted underneath the hanging post and fastened to the concrete pier. In such a case, the height of any post support device would also have to be accounted for so that it and the filler block closely filled the void.
From a functional perspective, these two solutions, however crude, would at best address the compression strength required of the adapted support post. However, the lateral strength would still be a concern given that adhesive is all that binds the filler block and post.
This concept does offer some cosmetic benefits as it creates a support post with an identical profile as the original post. Further sanding and use of resin fillers and painting can result in a high quality aesthetic finish close to the original. However the joints or interfaces between surface, filler block and post remain exposed to the elements.
If the joint is not repaired properly and it remains close enough to the base surface such that it is within the zone of exposure to the elements, the process of rot is set to repeat itself once again. This concept is incomplete and far from optimum.
In summary, there remain significant issues of concern with this method of a repair such as inadequate lateral or torsion strength at the union of the old and new filler material, lack of protection of the union interfaces from further exposure to the elements or pests, and keeping the base of the filler block post bottom dry.
Therefore there is a need for an elevated surface mounted post support device that a) addresses the need for a permanent and reliable long term mechanical sealing system between post walls and the vertical planar surfaces of the device that connect to and secure the post; b) provides a high degree of compression, lateral impact and torsion strength; c) meets the minimum building code gap requirements between post and surface; and d) can be used in a range of situations where the progression of rot within a support post extends to varying heights.
The devices and methods of the present invention are provided to fulfill one or more of these needs as will be understood from the following description.